A MOTHER claims her child would be a guinea pig if he went to the school allocated him by the education authority - but the school says he would be a trail-blazer.

Jane Ball received a letter saying her son Jonathan had not got a place at his preferred secondary schools, Park High in Colne, Habergham, Burnley and Primet in Colne, but had been allocated Edge End in Nelson.

She took Jonathan to visit the school rather than dismiss it, but when they left her son was in tears, begging her not to send him there.

Mrs Ball, of Lower Manor Lane, Burnley, said: "I went to a school that I wasn't happy with and it was so dire. I don't want that for my son.

"The head was very nice and showed us round, but I believe he is flogging a dead horse. I don't want my child to be used as a guinea pig."

Mrs Ball, who has two younger children, added: "I feel Jonathan's education would suffer if he goes to Edge End."

Head of Edge End Martin Burgess, claims his school has been the victim of 'white flight' and if parents had confidence to send their children there the school would have the opportunity to buck the trend. He disagrees with children living miles away being allocated places at his school and said problems happen with the parental preference system when unrealistic first, second and third choices are put forward and parents do not consider the school local to them. He said: "We have got to learn to live together."Our GCSE grades A-C are not as high as other schools, but our records of achievement are far higher than other schools.

"Six years ago, all the children in Briercliffe were clamouring to come to this school when we were 13 to 15 per cent of Asian origin."

Mr Burgess's own twin son and daughter, aged 16, attend a Bradford school with a 60 per cent Asian population. Both got As and Bs at GCSE and his daughter got four A* four As and a B.

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